This invention relates generally to cages for poultry and like animals, and more particularly concerns cage structure which will securely retain a large number of birds or similar animals, yet which can be erected and maintained at low cost.
Modern poultry operations provide sophisticated equipment for maintaining large flocks of birds inside poultry houses of extended size. When these birds are properly cared for, high flock performance levels can be reached; that is, relatively large numbers of eggs can be obtained from the laying hens.
In many of these poultry operations, it is helpful to maintain the birds inside cages so that food and water can be delivered to the poultry accurately and economically and in rationed amounts. In addition eggs can be economically collected from laying flocks.
Large poultry cage arrays have, of course, been known for some time to the poultry care industry. Effective cage arrays are more or less incidentally disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,523,519; 3,611,995; 3,776,191 and 3,893,423.
It is the general object of the present invention to provide a poultry cage structure or arrangement which can be inexpensively manufactured and assembled, yet which accommodates a large number of birds or like animals in an easy-to-care-for array.
A more specific object of the invention is to provide a poultry cage structure which can be manufactured from a relatively small amount of raw materials to provide a relatively extensive cage structure.
Another object is to provide a cage structure which can be easily shipped in its disassembled condition to an installation site.
Still another object is to provide a poultry cage structure which directs laid eggs in the cage to a conveniently located egg collector, thereby easing the task and lessening the expense of egg collecting.
An additional object is to provide a poultry cage structure which encourages the elimination of animal droppings at the cage rear, so as to permit these droppings to pass other cages and animals without befouling them.
A further object is to provide a cage structure in which cage the sizes and shapes are adapted to include more cages than could formerly be accommodated in a house of given size.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings. Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like parts.